Railway-switch.



f UNIT RAILWAY-SWITCH.

specification of 'Letters Patent.

En sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.;

DAVID DARNLEY, OF LONACONING, MARYLAND.

Patenteu'ivov. is, iota.

Application ledNovember 15, 1911. Serial No. 660,355.v

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Davie DAnnLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at VLonaconing, in the county of Allegany and and side tracks are continuous at the point ties.

of intersection of said tracks and wherein the switch rails are connected together and pivotally mounted for simultaneous angular movement, to open or close the switch yand avoid the use of frogs, and hence preventing accidents such as are caused by the use of frogs in switches, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of'devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a railway switch constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of thefsame on the plane indicated by the line -a of Fig. 1; and Fig. indicated by the line b-b of Fig. 1.

For the purposes of this specification the main track is indicated at 1 and 'the side track at 2. The opposite or outer rails of the main and side tracks are, in accordance with my invention, continuous at the point. of intersection of the said tracks,the outer main track 2 being straight and the outer side track, which also forms a portion of the main track, being indicated at 3, and having straight end portions 4, 5 which respectively aline with the main and side tracks and an intermediate curved portion 6, the chord of which isat-an angle to the main track. The converging ends of the inner rails 7, 8 of the main and side tracks are slightly spaced apart' and are secured. on a plate 9. This plate is secured on a main plate 10 which is secured on certain of the The plate 9 has a curved stop flange 11 formed integral therewith, projecting from the upper side thereof and extending across the ends of the bases of the rails 7 8. The said plate is also provided on its upper side with stops 12, 13. The plate 14 is se cured on certain of the ties and extends under the rail 2 and the rail 3 at the angle Improvements in Railway# .plate has a 3 is a similar View on the plane 15 of the latter, and at a point intermediate l the endsof the switch'v is a similar plate 16. I also provide a pair of shiftable switch rails 17, 18. These switch vrails are disposed in ,converging relation toward the ends ofthe rails 7, 8 and have their conv which are slightly spaced apart, connected by a bar 19. The opposite ends ofthe switch rails are split. That is to say, they are beveled on their outer sides verging ends,

as at 20, 21, respectively, and the said split ends of the switch rails are also lconnected together by a bar 22. The switch rails are also connected together by an intermediate bar 23. The switch rail 18 isstraight so as vto exactly aline with the main track when the switch is closed, and the switch rail 17 is slightly curved so as to exactly aline with the curved portion 6 of the continuous rail 3 when the switch is open. The switch rails 17, 18 are also connected together intermediF ate of their ends by a plate 24 which is pivotally mounted on a base plate 25 that is secured on one of the cross ties. The base cylindrical boss 26 on its upper side provided in its upper end with an an-y nular groove 27 and the plate 24 has a similar boss 28 on its lower side provided with an annular flange 29 which operates in the groove 27. The plate 24 is also connected to the base plate by a pivot bolt 30. Hence v the switchV rails, which are connected together for' simultaneous movement, are pivotally mounted at a point intermediate their ends. When the switch rails are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the rail 18 alines with the main track and its split end bears snugly against the inner side of the continuous rail 3 and, hence, the main track is entirely unobstructed at the switch, there is no frog at the switch and no danger of derailing a passing train. 'When the switch rails are moved to open position the rail 17. alines with the curved portion of t-heV continuous rail 3 and its split end 20 bears against the inner side of the outer rail of the main track'and the split end 21 of the switch rail18 is disposed at a dist-ance from the continuous rail 3 and hence the side track is open and a train encounters no obstruction either in entering or leaving the side track through the switch. I also provide stops 31, 32 on one of the cross ties for the switch rails 17, 1,8, respectively, and,

by the usual switch lever through the instrumentality of the usual rod indicated at 33.

It will be noted that whichever way the switch is thrown it will form al butt joint at the frog end and a split joint at the opposite end. Since the switch rails are firmly connected together it is impossible to move one without the other. Moreover, by having the outer rails continuous on the main and side tracks at the point of intersection the switch is rendered exceedingly strong and the train wheels encounter no obstruct-ions in passing the switch and, hence, there is no likelihood of an accident.

Having thus described my inventionA I claim:

A railway switch, embodying fixed con-.

tinuous outer main and siding rails, converging inner main and siding rails terlninating at one end in laterally spaced relation to each other, and switch rails mounted between the continuous outer main and siding rails-and secured together for a laterally swinging movement, the said switch rails converging 1n the direction of the converg-finner rails and abutting against all of 'said adjoining ends' and of a length to bear against the adjoining ends of the switch rails throughout the are ont movement ofthe latter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID DARNLEY.

Witnesses:

THEoDoRE Himniienir,v WM. B. BRADLEY.

Copies et tlis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing thel Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C. 

